Draft connection.



No. 638,0l5. Patanted Nov. 2:, 1899'.

J. D. HUBBELL.

DRAFT CONNECTION.

(Application filed Sept. 18, 1899 (No Model.)

13v rem/V0 2" Jim/e617. WZ/bbeJZ UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES D. HUBBELL, OF COMMERCE, MICHIGAN.

DRAFT CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 638,015, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed September 18, 1899. Serial No. 730,986. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES D. HUBBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Commerce, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Connections, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for vehicles which in use will relieve the latter from the jarring effect caused by the starting of the horse or horses and which will also reduce the strain upon the vehicle to a minimum.

The attachment is particularly designed for use in connection with carriages; and the present invention consists in the simple and peculiar construction of the attachment whereby the latter may be readily secured to the thills of the carriage in such manner as not to detract from the appearance of thevehicle.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my attachment, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the thills of a ve-v hicle of any type with my yielding draft connection applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the draft connection and a portion of the thill, showing the manner in which the parts are connected. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line a: 00, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan View of a portion of the draft connection, further illustrating its construction.

In the drawings thus briefly referred to the letter A designates a pair of thills connected in the usual manner to the front portion 13 of a vehicle, and C is the usual cross-bar connecting the thills.

The letter D designates my improved yielding connection, which is preferably attached one upon each of the thills, midway its length.

In construction the draft connection consists of a stationary frame E, comprising heads F and F, connected centrally by spaced parallel bars G. Each head is provided with spaced parallel lugs or ears a, the lugs being flush with and extending some distance from the end portions 17 of each head; also, the side of the head from which the lugs project is cut away in such manner as to produce, in connection with the inner faces of the lugs, a curved face 0, adapted to conform in configuration to the external contour of the inner side of the shaft, to which the frame is secured.

The reference-letter J designates the movable frame, forming a complementary part of the connection, which is adapted to be carried by and slide upon the stationary frame. The movable frame comprises a head K, apertured at e and f to permitof the rods G passing therethrough, and parallel side bars L, which are adapted to extend through apertures gin the head F of the stationary frame. The apertured head K is provided with a side Z,which is curved in the same manner and for the same purpose as the heads of the stationary frame. The bars last referred to terminate at their outer ends in a loop M, which extends some distance beyond the stationary frame, and to this loop is secured the connecting device between the yielding connection and the harness, the said connecting device being preferably the tug, which may be provided at its end with any suitable securing device. The movable frame is, as beforestated, carried by the stationary frame and is held normally in the position shown in Fig. 2 by the coiled springs O and P, which are sleeved upon the rods G of the stationary frame and bear against the heads K and F, respectively, of the movable and stationary frames,

In applying the attachment to the thills of the carriage the stationary frame is secured to the inner portion of the thill, the lugs engaging upon opposite sides of the latter, and the device is fastened to the thill by means of rivets or bolts Q, which extend through apertures a in the ears and through the thill.

From the description of my invention it will be observed that the attachment is of exceedingly simple construction, which will allow of its being manufactured at a slight cost. Also on account of its peculiar formation it may be secured to the thills in such a manner as to occupy but a small amount of space and to be hardly noticeable, whereby the general appearance of the carriage is not detracted from by its use.

What I claim as my invention is- ICO 1. The combination of a thill and a yield-ing draft connection attached thereto, comprising a stationary frame, a pair of spaced transverse lugs extending laterally from each end of the frame and adapted to engage upon 0pposite sides of the thill, a bolt extending through each pair of lugs and the inclosed portion of the thill, a movable frame having a sliding engagement with the stationary frame, one end of said movable frame being formed into a continuous loop projecting normally" beyond the stationary frame, and springs arranged intermediate the tWo frames, as and for the purpose described.

' 2. The combination of a thill, and a sliding draft connection attached thereto, comprising a stationary frame consisting of oppositelyarranged heads, apertured lugs projecting laterally and at some distance from the ends of the heads, the spaced lugs being adapted to 3. The combination of a thill, and ayielding draft connection attached to the inner side of the thill, comprising a stationary frame substantially rectangular in configuration consisting of oppositely-arranged heads, apertured lugs flush with and projecting laterally some distance from the ends of the heads, the spaced lugs being adapted to engage upon opposite sides of the thill and the side of the head from which the lugs project being curved to conform to the external configuration of the inner side of the thill, bolts extending through the apertnred lugs and the said thill, spaced parallel rods or bars centrally connecting the heads, a movable frame comprising an apertured head slidingly engaging the rods of the stationary frame, parallel side bars connected to the said apertured head and extendin g through one of the heads of the stationary frame, a loop connecting the ends of the side bars at a point beyond the stationary frame, and coiled springs upon the bars of the latter frame, having their ends bearing against the head of the movable frame and one of the heads of the stationary frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES D. HUBBELL.

Witnesses:

L. J. WHITTEMORE, M. B. ODOGHERTY. 

